While earlier authors tend to stress the malevolent aspects of the Little People,
classifying them among the “Divinities of Evil,” a classification system which
polarizes “good” and “evil” does not validly reflect the worldview of the Dakota. In
this article, oral sources are informally utilized as the written sources, including
previously unpublished narratives, are identified and examined in the context of the
Dakota worldview. The Dakota phrase mitakuye owasį (“all my relatives”) is
used to encapsulate the Dakota worldview and provide the interpretative
framework.
Alors que plusieurs auteurs accentuent les dimensions maléfiques du Petit Peuple, le
classant parmi les « divinités du mal », il appert qu’un système classificatoire
basé sur la polarité « bien » et « mal » ne rend pas compte de manière exacte de la
vision du monde des Dakota. Dans cet article, des sources orales sont utilisées
informellement tandis que des sources écrites, qui incluent des récits inédits, sont
identifiées et examinée à partir de la vision du monde des Dakota. L’expression
mitakuye owasį (« tous mes parents ») est ici utilisée à deux fins : rendre
compte de la vision du monde des Dakota et fournir un cadre d’interprétation.
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